Walt Disney Museum

After our run on Saturday, I took Evie out for her run around. I took her right back to the Presidio because it was sunny and she loves going up there. 

 We stopped to see what was in this building and found out it was something cool. 

 Turns out there was a bunch of production companies housed inside

 Evie had fun rolling around and running around like usual

After the Presidio, Erik and I headed down to Hayes Valley for a late lunch. We hit up Patxi's pizza and shared a delicious deep dish pizza. 

After lunch, we finally visited the Walt Disney Family Museum. This museum opened a few years ago and we haven not visited yet. The tickets are pricey - about $20 per person PLUS you have to pay for special exhibits. We scored tickets on Travelzoo for just $10 each so we had to grab them & go. 

 Can you spot Erik, the mouse?

 Hey Walt!

There were NO pictures allowed in the museum and for once, I abided by that rule. The museum taught us all about Walt Disney's life and how he got his start. We learned about how he started as a local cartoonist and started his own illustration company. After a few failures, him and his wife thought up Mickey Mouse and he was off to success from there! 

There were definitely ups and downs after different productions of movies. It took a long time to produce Bambi which caused other film delays. WWII took away a lot of his illustrators and producers as they were drafted into the war. 

Walt died at the young age of 65. 

He had two daughters and one of them, Diane, is still active in the Bay Area. Her and her husband own Silverado Winery up in Napa. She is 79. 

View from the museum window. Beautiful Day! So glad we got to visit the museum.

After our big day, it was time to crash and try to rest this cold off. Ugh the amount of tissues I have used over the past three days is astronomical. Fingers crossed I feel better by Monday. 

Team In Training Saturday

Saturday started off with our first Saturday team run for TEAM IN TRAINING Summer Season. Woohoo! Erik ran but unfortunately, I did not. I am STILL so stuffed up & can barely breathe. It really sucks. I still went though to meet some team members and be with the group. 

 We met in our favorite spot in the Presidio, Main Post. Evie and I come here quite often!

 The Team Manager and Coaches gave everyone some updates about the season and the run for the day...

 Everyone brought fun snacks to have post-run including these 49ers cupcakes...

Our most important speech of the morning was from one of our fellow Mentors who dedicated the run to her brother, who passed away from a blood cancer. Our Mission Captain Lois, prints out these little photos of the person we are dedicating our run to that day so we can all remember why we are out there running.

It was great meeting other team members and seeing everyone complete their first here. Hoping for a great season!!

Pho Friday

On Friday, I took a legit sick day from work. Felt horrible and so stuffed up all day. Glad this is just a cold though and not the flu. We obviously stayed in on Friday night. We both wanted a big bowl of Pho but didn't want to leave the house. 

We looked on Grub Hub for Pho and just found one place called Americana Vietnamese and Italian Restaurant. Haha. They had Pho, Vietnamese rolls, and then eggplant parm sandwiches. The reviews were decent so we went for it. 

Wasn't the best we've had, but it was good! I put a ton of Srrrrrrrriracha on it to help me breathe! 

What's your favorite hot sauce??

Mine is Frank's, hands down. But after trying Cholula (since it's on EVERY table here), I like that one too. Sriracha is also pretty awesome in soup and noodle dishes. 

Happy 7th Birthday, Evie!!!

It's a big day here because our little Evie is turning 7 years old!!!

 Seems like only yesterday I was meeting her at the shelter and bringing her home. Evie came into the shelter around 1 years old, a total mess. No hair, extreme anemia, completely underweight. The girls at the shelter called her "Scabby" and she had to wear a t-shirt because her skin and fur was such a mess from her mange.

Illinois, I think...

While volunteering at PAWS, they asked me to go see the new dog, Evie, because she could use some love. Pretty much from the second I saw Evie, I knew she was supposed to be with me. She was a hot mess, but she was a wiggle butt, squirming around, licking me like crazy.

When she was feeling better enough leave the shelter, I would bring her to my Parents house on the weekends. She was wild. She would run around like crazy. Bark at everything. The poor thing had no idea what a ceiling fan or hair dryer was.

Running in Long Beach, CA

I'm sure everyone thought I was nuts for wanting this wild dog but I knew she needed us. I knew we could give her the life she deserved. Evie has driven(drove? rode?) cross country, been to Tahoe, Long Beach, North Carolina, and of course, her beloved SF.

Nags Head, NC

Evie is a cuddling girl but only with the right people. Loves to play and run and eat dirt until she's exhausted.
We've been through so much with Evie from getting her fur back from mange, recovering from a dog bite, and of course, her recent knee surgery.

We've all heard that "...it takes a village to raise a child." well I think it takes a village to raise Evie ,too. We could not be more grateful for her Grandparents who housed her and took care of her and are always there to help us with Evie. We're grateful for Woofgangs, the best dog camp in the world, for taking Evie in despite her antics with new people and dogs around her. We're grateful for our her Auntie who buys her gifts and loves on her when she visits. We are grateful for all of the friends & family that Evie LOVES, love her back, and look past her tough exterior to see the true baby that she is.

And in closing, we all have learned....

Here's to 7 more great years Miss May!

P.S. I feel like my Grandma who tells me my birth story EVERY year. haha. 

Home Sick

Blah. Doesn't having a cold just stink? Your nose is running, you're stuffed up, your tired....Well, that is how I'm feeling and how Erik felt earlier in the week.

I worked from home today and luckily got to take a nap in the afternoon. Sleep always makes me feel better. 

I had my partner in crime sitting rigggggght next to me the entire day. 

Also, drank some of this tea. So good!

Unfortunately, our first track workout is tonight and I do NOT feel like running :-( I think we might skip tonight and just go on Saturday. 

The Sickness & Today Top 5

 Erik was out sick earlier this week due to his cold and guess what, now I have it. I just feel so tired and have a runny nose. Let's hope some DayQuil will keep this thing at bay and we can all move on with life!!

Some random things from our day.

1. It was pretty warm out and sunny out here today. Always appreciated!

2. Our meal planning didn't get us til today since my plan really just set us up for one week. Instead of going across the street, I went to Safeway and probably saved $15 just by going there. Well worth the 5 minute drive!

3. Picked up this fun wine for a mere $5 while I was there!

4. Evie is turning 7 THIS FRIDAY. Reminds me of Marta Von Trapp telling Frauline Maria, "I'm turning 7 on Tuesday and I'd like a pink parasol," What she really wants is to run around outside, eat some dirt, and maybe finish the day off with a car ride and a nice fish dinner.

Follow us on Instagram: hedder02

5. Each week, we DVR Saturday Night Live. It's easy to watch and skip through the crappy skits. This week, there was a diamond in the rough. cracks me up. Plus, love that it is set in New Haven, CT.


Too funny. "In the words of my hero Miss Mary Jay Blige, "I'm leaving this and I ain't NEVER coming back."

What is your favorite SNL skit?
Mine is anything with Mary Katherine Gallagher, specifically the Christmas episode with Whitney Houston

Anyone caught this cold or flu?

Drama in the 'hood

Some craziness was going on in our neighborhood yesterday...investigation in connection to a murder from the 1980's!!

Here's what went down:
Local and federal law enforcement officers found bones during a search of a Haight-Ashbury home Tuesday, but it’s believed that they belong to some kind of animal and not Kevin Collins, a 10-year-old boy who went missing nearly 29 years ago.

San Francisco police executed a search warrant at the home on Masonic Avenue near Page Street, with the FBI and cadaver dogs from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office assisting in the search.
Several bones were turned over to the San Francisco Medical Examiner’s Office. Police said preliminary assessment of the bones indicated that they are from an animal, but that further analysis is necessary.
********
After work yesterday, Evie and I walked up to the crime scene. The house was taped off with police tape and about six news trucks were up there.

How crazy that a murder could've happened in our neighborhood many years ago. The story is so sad - a 10 year old boy disappeared. If they did find something in that house, imagine the closure that would bring his parents.

Always something going on in this city!!

Chez Panisse....Cafe

On Monday night, it was our monthly Tres Amigas dinner. My friend Andrea chose the Chez Panisse, a well known restaurant in Berkeley.


Alice Waters, a famous chef, started this restaurant. Alice is an American pioneer of a culinary philosophy that maintains that cooking should be based on the finest and freshest seasonal ingredients that are produced sustainably and locally. She is a passionate advocate for a food economy that is “good, clean, and fair.”(as told on the restaurant website)

It's located in Berkeley's "Gourmet Ghetto" which is essentially a street FULL of great restaurants.

Chez Panisse is a pre-fixe restaurant but they have the Chez Panisse Cafe upstairs from the restaurant which is a regular menu. Since Andrea and I don't eat everything that could be on the menu, we ate at the Cafe.

Service and food were both awesome. For dinner, we shared two appetizers:

Local halibut tartare with radishes, avocado, and lemon vinaigrette
Chicory salad with avocado

For dinner, I had.....QUAIL. 
















There was a chicken dish on the menu but the quail looked so much better. It came with white beans and squash. My friend Nicole said quail tastes like chicken so I decided to go for it. It was delicious!

For dessert, we shared a grilled pear galette which was also very good.

Dinner was great and it was fun to check out this Berkeley staple. I'd definitely go back...to the Cafe!

Ready for the Week

We are ready for a new week and are wondering, how is it end of January already!? We have a fun & busy week ahead but have planned out some meals.

Monday - YOYO (You're on your own!)
Tuesday - Turkey meatballs and pasta
Wednesday - Veggie Quesadillas
Thursday - Homemade Pizza
Friday - TBD

I also wanted to share one of my new FAVORITE products....Soy Vay Teriyaki sauce.This is one AMAZINGGGGG sauces. I have used on salmon, as a dip for baby carrots, topped on chicken...you name it, it tastes great!!

Highly recommend this one. 

Oaklandia

Today starts training for San Diego RNR! I went out and did a measly 1.5 miles around our park but at least I went! I felt fine running so maybe I still have a little bit of running-ness in me after our fall season.

After running, cleaning, finishing the laundry, and eating lunch, we headed out to Oakland. We wanted to go to two open houses just to see what homes for rent look like out there. The first one was billed on Craigslist as in the Oakland Hills. It was really in the ghetto.  We have a friend in the Oakland Hills in this beautiful neighborhood, on a nice quiet street. This house looked awesome inside but the 'hood was sketchville. We didn't even get out of the car.

From Wikipedia

 After looking at Sketchville, we drove out to San Leandro where there was a townhouse for rent. San Leandro does not offer much. The neighborhood had decent homes but was dead quiet and all we saw were chain restaurants. We did get out of the house this time, but only to walk Evie. We knew by the 'hood that we didn't want to live there.

Here's Evie just riding in the back seat. She came to Oakland with us.

 We drove home & I was definitely feeling discouraged. Erik is much more positive over the whole finding a new place to live situation. We both really want to live in Marin instead of the Oakland area so maybe we just concentrate up in Marin and just look at everything we can. We're actually hoping our friends Lisa & Justin will buy a house and we can just take their apartment. Ya never know!

 We got home from Oakland and Evie & I headed out for one of our weekend walks. We drove up to the Presidio (probably our fave spot to go) and went to an area we haven't been to. We literally just drove up, took a few turns, parked, and started walking.

 We found a cute new-to-us trail called "Lover's Lane."

 Such a cute story of the path!

 It was pretty nice out today. Chilly but sunny and in the 50's...

 After our walk, we stopped at Trader Joe's on our way home. We picked up a bottle of wine for a whopping $6, popcorn, and shelled edamame. Both Evie and I love shelled edamame. I cannot wait to get home so I always open it in the car and give her some. haha!

 This wine was awesome - a little fruity, a little crisp, a little buttery. Love it, especially for $6!

Once we got home, Evie and I chilled on the couch. She was tired and so was I. We watched some TV, had some popcorn, & wine....that is what Sundays are for!

 For dinner, I made a Quinoa Veggie Paella. I am obsessed with Quinoa lately so any chance to use it is fine by me. Get the recipe, HERE.

 Erik added steak to his dinner and he said he loved it, so this recipe is a WIN!

In other news, Erik still has a cold. He is blowing his nose like crazy and needs to get some REST. Hoping he stays home from work and gets some sleeeeeep tomorrow.

Anyone get my title post reference of another Pacific Northwest City that's now a TV show?? 
I think this show is hit & miss. One skit will be hilarious and the next is Meh. 

Anyone else in the process of finding a new place to live??